Time in Manchester

Wed 20th July 2005
This hospital is the biggest one I have ever been inside. Its long corridors, its signs, its colour zoning does not seem to help the confused visitor, but quite the reverse, it fills you with horror and bewilderment. I wonder how many people have not made it to appointments because they just never found where they had to be before they died en route.
I have been in some of the London hospitals, I can remember attending a disco at UCH in London and getting lost after a few drinks, now that was a fun experience, but finding the way in this rabbit warren of covered corridors and rebuilding work reached new proportions. Add on to this, a father who needs a stick to maintain his balance, his sight and hearing are poor and he is rapidly disoriented by even old surroundings, but he had the job of pushing mum in her wheel chair. I had the suitcase which was on wheels and 2 handbags filled with all the essentials us women have to carry "just in case". We filled the width of the corridor, and I had to locate signs, and try to find the right place up lifts... round bends.. up slopes.. but we did it!
Now, I have to admit something. I could not believe how friendly everyone was, we asked people, we joked, everyone was sympathetic and fun. My mum tells my this is what northerners are like, you won't find this in London. In London they giggle behind your back and forget to hold open the door. As the day continued I met the most helpful nurses, the most professional, yet always time for a joke, a laugh. One young student nurse walked miles with me, showing my where to find security, our rooms, where to get food etc. Dad finally got his breakfast at 3pm.
At this point, we still don't know if Mum will get a new hip tomorrow, as she requires a "high dependency bed" which could be taken by an emergency during the night.
Mum is coping very well, she has been weighed, blood taken, blood pressure, samples from all over. She has been quizzed by Drs, by nurses, by dieticians, by OT people. She has continued to answer a lot of the same questions by all these clip-boarded hospital workers. She has signed for every eventuality, she has eaten some good meals too and is ready for her big day tomorrow, with very mixed feelings as nothing is certain. She has even coped with containing Dad when I went to sort out the car.
Dad and I are staying in very basic accommodation, within the hospital. He needs to be close to mum, it sort of reassures him. Although he doesn't know which way to turn to find the loo 2 doors away.
I can cope with anything, even the curtains that do not meet. This was easily fixed by using a skirt coat-hanger as a peg. I like to be adaptable... the sign of a true traveller...
But this is just "day one"..
My room has a button on the wall labelled
"vibrating pillow
sounder cct1
E.O.L."

.. am I in for a good night? I am not sure I have an implement with me that will fit in the 3 pin socket this button has, but I will be looking around for a 'thing' to fit ;)
Although I have my iBook, I am unable to detect a signal anywhere, so it looks like no internet for a week... Can I cope with that?

Thurs 21st July 2005
The day began full of hope and hash browns and quickly descended into gloom. After breakfast, I moved the car to the allocated parking area and then phoned for an update on Mum, eventually we found out that she had been refused the operation until the experts had more information on her heart. One of the experts was even phoned while on holiday, but a decision would be taken when more evidence is received, when they are back from holiday too. The heart test could not be done today, more workers on holiday and sick...
Put simply, we had to wait all day, for a test that may happen tomorrow, knowing whatever the test says, she will not get a new hip this time.
Trying to be positive now, I discovered my camera worked, and began an in depth investigation into disabled shower facilities.
I now felt I had a good working knowledge of the ground floor of the hospital and began making progress to the first floor and even investigated a few short cuts, some successfully.
I coped with moving the car from the "Happy Eater" car park in daylight to and from the multi-storey car park at night. I was warned that if I left the car in the "Happy Eater" car park overnight not to expect it to be there the next day, or certainly not in the same condition. Maybe Manchester is not quite so friendly?
Dad and I became experts of the culinary delights of several of the eating establishments around the hospital, whereas Mum struggled to eat some rather different hospital food, always with waitress service.
I thought I had left Wales and all my linguistic inadequacies, but we found that we were sharing bathrooms and kitchen facilities in our accommodation with some very nice ladies from the mainland of North Wales who spoke Welsh just to make us feel at home.
Dad and I were unsure whether to pack at the end of the day, we are still at a loss to know what will happen tomorrow. Depression has not hit the family yet, but I think it will when we get back home.

Friday 22nd July 2005
Today was spent once again waiting for Mum's ECG test, which finally happened at lunchtime. The young doctor that had been involved has said that although there is some problems with Mum's heart it really didn't look too bad. She was unable to compare with any previous tests though so Mum will be summoned to see the consultant in August.
So I drove all our luggage, my parents and myself back to Wales.
I am now feeling rather dead, maybe its the waking up at 6:30am that has done that, or the watching over my Dad as I realise that he was struggling to cope away from home.
Anyway... I am back
I feel as if I was away a long time, yet it wasn't...
Hugs